On June 5, President Trump signed a proclamation set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 9, banning travelers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, including temporary visa holders, like tourists.
The proclamation also restricts certain temporary visa holders from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
While Egypt is not currently on the list of restricted countries, the administration points to the recent violent attack in Colorado, where the suspect is an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa, as motivation for expediting the proclamation.
Zane Kerby, CEO and president of The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), says that ASTA recognizes that overstaying visas is a problem, as is vetting citizenry.
“But we hope that the countries involved in the travel ban work effectively with the U.S. to address these concerns so that travel between our countries can resume,” he said.
When governments impose restrictions that limit access and movement, it doesn’t simply affect individual travelers — it sends a ripple effect through global commerce, frays diplomatic relations and, most importantly, opposes the very spirit of what travel represents.
The new travel policies are similar to those implemented during the president’s first administration that targeted predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In March 2017, Iraq was removed from the list, while Chad, Venezuela and North Korea were added. Chad was later removed. And in 2020, immigration restrictions for travelers from Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan were also put into place.
“Travel is more than movement across borders; it’s about fostering global understanding and connection,” said Chris Weatherhead, chief marketing officer of product and partnerships for California-based Montecito Village Travel. “We strongly believe in open and inclusive travel policies that encourage discovery while supporting responsible and sustainable growth for the industry.”
The latest restrictions take effect just as the busy summer travel season is beginning, creating the potential for inbound travelers to modify or cancel existing plans. In addition, while the travel ban does not specifically target them, visa or green card holders from affected countries are likely to reconsider traveling abroad due to concerns about being unable to return to the U.S.
“Safe, secure, and open travel are foundational to our world,” Kerby said. “When governments impose restrictions that limit access and movement, it doesn’t simply affect individual travelers — it sends a ripple effect through global commerce, frays diplomatic relations and, most importantly, opposes the very spirit of what travel represents.”
